


Mockingjay: The Dawning

by Claricebean_13



Category: Hunger Games Series - All Media Types, Hunger Games Trilogy - Suzanne Collins, The Hunger Games (Movies)
Genre: Domestic Fluff, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Multi, and medical scares, and ptsd, angsty, general warning regarding the hunger games apply, it is my head canon, mainly flashbacks, mild pining, some of the things in this story are more fantastical than in the books or movies, the enemies to lovers as seen in the original work, this is set after the rebellion and before the epilogue, this work was originally posted on wattpad
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-05
Updated: 2021-03-05
Packaged: 2021-03-18 08:13:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,304
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29855142
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Claricebean_13/pseuds/Claricebean_13
Summary: Katniss and Peeta are recovering slowly as they try and rebuild their lives back in district 12 again after the revolution. With a steady democratic government and the abolition of the hunger games, will Katniss and Peeta be able to find the lives of victors after all?
Relationships: Annie Cresta/Finnick Odair, Haymitch Abernathy/Effie Trinket, Katniss Everdeen/Peeta Mellark
Kudos: 6





	Mockingjay: The Dawning

**Author's Note:**

> So, I finally decided to bring my very long standing and ongoing (although updated slowly) THG work over here from Wattpad for everyone to enjoy - I am in the process of remastering it (not just a grammar update) so it will be going up one or two chapters at a time. This remastered version is only available here on AO3. I hope you enjoy reading it as much I have enjoyed writing it :)
> 
> A few general things:  
> \- I'm Australian, so I write in Australian English (which is not the same as American English)  
> \- I tend to use a mix of the book and the movie canons

Katniss finally got home, feeling dead inside. Her sister was gone, her mother was in the Capitol training doctors; District 12's Victors village was a ghost town. She entered her house and put down her bag containing all the things that ever mattered to her; her bow and arrow, her Mockingjay pin, her Mockingjay suit, her photo of her father, her pearl from Peeta, the spile from the 75th hunger games, the locket with the pictures of her mother, prim and gale and finally, buttercup. She brought her home, the last piece of prim. She opened the bag and dug out the locket. She frantically opened it and ripped out the picture of Gale. He killed Prim. He was supposed to save her.

"How could someone I loved so much hurt me so badly....?" pleaded Katniss meekly. She sat on the couch for what felt like an eternity. She thought she was going insane. She took her bow and arrow and left the house for the forest. 

_Hunting; that's what will clear my mind_ , thought Katniss. She managed to shoot one bird, then promptly came home. As she approached the gates to Victors Village, she saw someone bent over the flower beds in front of Peeta's home. She drew her bow and arrow, anticipating an intruder. The intruder turned around, revealing Peeta holding a yellow flower. 

"They're primroses; I found them at the edge of the forest," Peeta stated earnestly, warmth laced in his tone.

Katniss dropped her bow and arrow and briskly approached him. He put the flower down and held Katniss in a close embrace. Tears welled up in her eyes.

"You came back too?" Katniss asked sincerely. 

"There was no point in hanging around in the Capitol. Besides, I figured you would be here," replied Peeta empathetically, softening his facial expression. 

Katniss relished in the silence and their closeness. She brought her nose to his, just touching in affection. He tensed; she paused; she took a breath and pulled herself back. She was so profoundly relieved that he had recovered even slightly from the hijacking. It was selfish, really, but she had Peeta once again.

"Do you want to come in and cook this goose with me?" Katniss began, gazing softly at Peeta with care.

"Why not," Peeta replied with a wistful smile, slowly moving his hands to release their embrace.

As they entered Katniss' house, Peeta saw her locket strewn open on the table with the picture of Gale missing. He noticed the picture torn on the other side of the room.

"Katniss, is everything okay?" Peeta asked with gentle cautiousness as he held up the half-empty locket.

"Yes. Why?" She replied quickly.

"What happened between you and Gale?" Peeta enquired hesitantly.

"Nothing," She stated swiftly.

"What happened? I know you well enough to know that is not the truth," He continued, tenderness laced through his voice.

"It's not what happened; it's what he did," Katniss answered in quiet sadness, burying her face in her hands.

"What did he do?" Peeta asked kindly, softly ghosting his fingers on her shoulders.

"Gale killed prim." She said in an almost whisper, unable to voice the words that she does not want to believe.

Peeta sighed in a mixture of disbelief and belief, closing his eyes.

"The bombing?" Peeta asked tentatively.

"All him and Coin," Katniss answered frankly, leaning her head back to stare at the ceiling.

"Why didn't you tell me earlier?" He asked with sympathy, his eyes begging for answers.

"Because I didn't want you to feel bad for me or for you to think you needed to be by my side. Especially because you were still recovering from the hijacking." She said quietly, allowing the words to escape from behind her fingers.

"You are still trying to protect me, real or not real?" Peeta asked wistfully, leaning on the kitchen counter.

"Real," Katniss answered timidly. Peeta released a lengthy sigh.

"You shut Gale out, real or not real?" He asked with heaviness, looking down at the counter.

"Real." She stated softly, staring at the floor.

Peeta is silent, without the words to respond.

"He killed my sister." Katniss began, still looking at the floor.

"Coin killed her; Gale just gave Coin a method to carry it out." He responded with hesitation.

"She knew that if Prim was still alive, you would seek ultimate justice; that would mean getting rid of her too." He continued without hesitation, noticing the anguish ingrained in Katniss' gaze. 

She nodded her head in silence.

"You never have to explain yourself; never to me," Peeta stated warmly, enveloping Katniss in his arms. Katniss sighed in relief and allowed herself to relax in his arms. 

∞∞∞

"Do you have any plans now that you are back home?" Peeta asked nonchalantly while stirring a pot of goose stew.

"I'm supposed to be existing under the radar until President Paylor 'pardons' me," Katniss replied with sarcasm, adding extra vegetables to the stew. 

"Truth be told, you saved Panem from another 75 years of dictatorship," he quipped back.

"You and I know that, but not everyone could see that," she replied candidly, taking over the stirring of the pot.

"I know that all of the victors know," He stated warmly, pottering around the kitchen cupboards and pantry.

"That's different, though; we are mostly wise to the Capitol's political garbage. It's not new for us who have all been through hell and back thanks to a particularly poisonous dictator." She countered, peering with curiosity at Peeta.

"The masses will eventually come to their senses. The population remaining are mostly people who either sided with Rebels or were rebels," He stated with frankness, mixing ingredients in a bowl.

Peeta crept up behind Katniss and peered over her shoulder to get a good look at the stew. He reached around and placed his hand on hers, holding the stirring spoon. Katniss was pleasantly surprised, as much as anything could be pleasant these days. Katniss smiled and chuckled.

"What are you doing with flour?" Katniss asked coyly, noting the flour on Peeta's hands.

"Just a little bread for later," Peeta answered with a sweet grin. He slowly moved out of the intimate embrace, turning out his dough to knead.

Katniss looked over at Peeta; a rush of warmth engulfed her senses. It all felt serene. She spun around and joined Peeta kneading the dough, allowing his weathered hands to guide her far less experienced ones.

"Do you know if they have any plans to rebuild District 12?" Katniss asked casually as she kneaded a piece of dough. 

"I know that as soon as you are 'pardoned' by Paylor, Plutarch has a collection of prefabricated buildings that will be flown into 12 so people could live here again," Peeta responded warmly.

"What about the industries? People won't come here if there isn't any work," Katniss inquired concernedly.

"The last I heard, the plan is to bring the medical industry to 12," Peeta replied softly, placing the bread on a tray in the oven.

Tears welled in Katniss' eyes, a lone tear escaping and rolling down her face. Peeta faced her silently with a look of concern.

"I'm okay, really," Katniss stated, quickly wiping away the solitary tear with her sleeve.

"It's okay to be not okay," Peeta responded, his voice radiating kindness. He took her hand in his and held it lovingly.

"Prim would have wanted it to be this way," Katniss replied stoically, nodding slowly.

"It's Plutarch's way of honouring Prim," Peeta stated wistfully. He left the goose simmering on the stove and lead Katniss to the couch. She curled up next to him and put her head on his chest. 

_What are we going to do?_ Katniss thought as she found herself holding on to Peeta for comfort in a strange yet soothing intimacy.


End file.
